Cheyney, Cheyney...Alma Mater
You know...people need to learn to listen to lyrics more. I mean REALLY listen! I was having a conversation about music nowadays (look at me sounding like an “old head”!) and talking about how people don’t really listen to the words they are singing. I am convinced that all people care about is the beat of the song or how popular the song is as opposed to what the song is saying. Good music is the kind of music that speaks to the mind and the heart and sticks with you long after the first time you heard it.
Take the Cheyney University Alma Mater, for example. Now I know it’s not R&B or Gospel or Pop but hear me out. Myself, along with hundreds of thousands of students attended Cheyney and, believe it or not, were REQUIRED to learn the Alma Mater. Oh we fought it, believe you me! But somewhere...in the middle of rolling our eyes and sucking out teeth, the words became a part of who we were. But when we graduated, it seemed that the words we sang were just words. The message got lost somewhere between moving on with our families, our careers, our lives. And now...the meaning of the words we yelled out loud (or mumbled if we didn’t remember them!) are slowly fading away as is the reputation of Cheyney University. When you sing...
“Cheyney, Cheyney, Alma Mater Thou whose light can never fail. With a deep and true devotion We, thy sons and daughters, hail,” ...do you ask yourself “Where is my Cheyney light?” The devotion was more than true...it was deep. So deep that every graduate of Cheyney hail to it. Do you remember your first love? Remember how deep it was and how much it hurt when you lost it? These lyrics speak of that deep devotion for Cheyney.
Hear the pledge thy children offer Strong of hand and clear of brain, When thou callest, Alma Mater, Never shalt thou call in vain. ...do you remember the pledge of always being there for Cheyney? When you were young and sharp of mind you said you would be there whenever Cheyney called. And when the call was put out...not just for parties, or reunions, or sporting events...you would be there. You promised. With your mind, your mouth and your heart...you promised.
Thou has taught us not to falter, To be loyal, brave and true, Striving upward by thy spirit, In whatever we may do; ...do you know that the ancestors of Cheyney look down on you and celebrate your successes as if it were their own? They put blood, sweat, tears, and hard work into making sure that we had a venue to be successful. To be what they could not.
And at last, when we have triumphed Down the long life battle-line, All the honor and the glory, Alma Mater, shall be thine.
...do you know how to be grateful? Cheyney is, good or bad, a huge part of who we are as successful individuals. We have had friendships/relationships, experiences, classes and professors that, at some point or another, shaped a part of who we are today.
Cheyney’s alma mater is a song that we should never just know the lyrics to...it is a song that reminds us of history, carries us through trials, heals us through pain and lifts us in sadness. It is a song we CANNOT afford to ignore because when we learned it, we made a pledge we should never break.
Cheyney is hurting...Cheyney is suffering...will you heed the call?